King's Lynn Town begin year in style with derby win over Boston

It was an ill-tempered affair, on and off the pitch, with a number of fans ejected for fighting which spilled on to the pitch midway through the second half. 

Aaron Jones was red-carded after this incident with Boston's Jake Wright (Image: Ian Burt)

Lynn defender Aaron Jones, was shown a straight red on 72 minutes for a foul on Jake Wright, who had running battles with a number of Lynn defenders throughout the game. 

But Lynn emerged through the New Year debris to claim another valuable three points in their promotion quest. 

Lynn boss Tommy Widdrington celebrates after the game (Image: Ian Burt)

Olly Scott came along like the number 22 bus with his second goal in as many games, against the same opposition, while Adam Crowther added a second before the interval. Tre Mitford's injury-time goal was only consolsation for the visitors. 

The bad news for Lynn is that Gold Omotayo was in hospital while his team-mates were celebrating victory after suffering a facial injury.

It means Lynn boss Tommy Widdrington might need to look for some temporary cover, having revealed after the game he had signed a permament deal for Ipswich TYown midfielder Tommy Hughes, 22.

Widdrington made two changes to the team that started at Boston – Crowther replace Kyle Callan-McFadden in the backline while Boxing Day scorer Omotayo came in for Ken Charles up front. 

Wright almost carved out an early opening for the visitors, but Josh Coulson was in place to clear. 

But with just 11 minutes gone Scott struck again - Omotayo nodded on Paul Jones’s long king, Ben Stephens picked it up, played it left to Josh Barrett who in turn played it left to Scott, who drove it goalwards from the left of the area, the ball going in off the far post. 

Five minutes later Scott saw another low cross drift wide as Boston’s defence struggled to cope when Lynn upped the tempo. 

The visitors responded with a good spell of pressure, with Michael Clunan and Olly Scott doing well to snuff out the danger. 

There was certainly a feeling that Lynn were settling better than the visitors – their passing game was better, although Widdrington will have wanted more penetration around the Boston area. 

Theo Widdrington and Scott both had shots blocked as Lynn swarmed around the visitors’ area. 

Adam Crowther went into the referee’s notebook for a foul on Wright in front of the dugouts – and angrily pointed the finger at visiting manager Ian Culverhouse and his coaching team for influencing the official. 

But Crowther got his own back on 37 minutes with a forceful header from a Clunan corner which the clever Widdrington shielded over the line. 

It was little more than Lynn deserved as they took the game by the scruff of the neck. Lynn’s fans were taunting former boss Culverhouse with chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ - he was certainly on the receiving end of the sort of performance his own Lynn team produced at their height. 

Stephens should have added a third before the break after a superb ball by Barrett, but shot against the side netting. 

Scott’s new-found appetite for goals showed little sign of abating – he tried an overhead kick at the start of the second half which was inches too high as Lynn looked to put the game to bed and then fired in a low effort which keeper Sam Long gathered well. 

Omotayo was replaced before the hour mark, struggling with an injury to his right eye after an aerial collision. 

Boston perhaps saw an opportunity in his absence and Lynn were forced into some desperate defensive work. Widdrington introduced Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain to replace some height, and steady the ship. 

Lynn lost Jones in the 72nd minute, shown a straight red after a foul on Wright and they needed a backs-against-the-wall performance to get through. 

Two superb Boston tackles in their own area denied Charles and Oxlade-Chamberlain as Lynn for the game-sealing goal. It didn’t quite come – but Boston's late goal by sub Tre Mitford wasn't enough as Lynn completed a good afternoon’s work. 

King’s Lynn Town: P Jones, A Jones, Crowther, Coulson, Denton, Scott, Widdrington, Clunan, Stephens (Oxlaide-Chamberlain 66), Barrett (Walker 89), Omotayo (Charles 55). Subs not used: Callan-McFadden, Blair. 

Goals: Scott 11, Crowther 38 

Boston United: Long, Platt, S Pollock, Burrow, Wright (Starbuck 77), Ferguson, B Pollock, McLintock (Atkinson 58), Mills, Pearson, Lewis (Mitford) 46. Subs not used: Shiels, Solanke. 

Goal: Mitford 90

Att: 2,124